Perpetual spinach and chards are leafy relatives of the beetroot. They all have a similar down-to-earth flavour, and are renown for their versatility in the kitchen.

Sowing: Sow in April to May for outdoor crops, and in September to October for overwintering in tunnels or greenhouses. Seed can be direct sown into the ground or started in modules and the seedlings transplanted out. For best results plants should be spaced about 30cm apart, or closer if the crop is to be cut for baby leaves.

Growing: Leaves grow upright, and can be cut at any size; the younger the leaves the more tender they will be. Chards and perpetual spinach are the quintessential cut-and-come-again crop, and provided the plant base is undamaged new leaves will grow after a cut, ready for harvesting again within a few weeks. Harvests can be made continuously, making these real value-for-money vegetables.